Stack of absorbent sheets including a mounting system

ABSTRACT

A stack of absorbent sheets configured to be mounted to a surface can include a mounting system. The stack can include a plurality of the absorbent sheets each including an area of weakness to facilitate separation of an absorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets at an average separation force (Fseparation). The stack can further include a mounting system comprising a first fastening component configured to be coupled to a back surface of the stack of absorbent sheets. A force to separate the first fastening component from the stack of absorbent sheets can be F1. The mounting system can further comprise a second fastening component configured to be coupled to the first fastening component and to the surface. A force to separate the second fastening component from the first fastening component can be F2. A force to separate the second fastening component from the surface can be F3, and Fseparation&lt;F2&lt;F3&lt;F1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Consumers want easy, convenient and quick access to absorbent sheetproducts, such as paper towels, toilet tissue, napkins, facial tissue,and the like, for use in their home or work areas. Particularly,consumers want the products available where spills or messes occur,which are often in areas of the home where such products aretraditionally kept, such as the kitchen or bathroom. When spills ormesses occur in these areas consumers want quick and convenient accessto absorbent sheets to clean up messes quickly to avoid damage tosurfaces throughout the home. Therefore, there is a need for absorbentsheets, and particularly stacks of absorbent sheets, that may be easilylocated throughout the home and provide a convenient dispensing formatto ensure easy, convenient and quick access to sheets where and whenconsumers need them.

Not only do consumer desire sheet formats that are easy and convenientto use, they also want sheet formats that are easily dispensed, as wellas those that are aesthetically pleasing and compliment their homedécor. Often to provide the ease and convenience consumer's desire, thesheet products are designed to be left in plain view in the home ratherthan stored away in cabinets. As such, the products must beaesthetically pleasing and be able to mount to a variety of surfaces inan environment and stay mounted to provide reliable dispensing.

Therefore, there is a need in the art fora stack of absorbent sheetsincluding a mounting system that provides consumers with convenient andeasily accessible dispensing when and where the consumer needs suchproducts yet prevents damage of the surface to which the stack ismounted. Furthermore, there is a need for a dispensing format thatfunctions as a home accessory and compliments the consumer's home decor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the consumer's need for a convenientmounting system for a stack of absorbent sheets that may be mounted to anumber of different surfaces, providing the consumer with easy access toabsorbent sheets throughout the home. For example, the stack may be laidflat on a horizontal surface, such as a countertop or table, or may bemounted to a vertical surface, such as a wall or cupboard. The mountingsystem provides for stable attachment of the stack of absorbent sheetsin such variety of mounting orientations and surfaces to providereliable dispensing. Importantly, the mounting system also providesbenefits of being able to disengage the absorbent stack before causingdamage to the surface should forces higher than required for dispensingan absorbent sheet be applied to the stack of absorbent sheets.

Accordingly, in one embodiment the present invention provides a stack ofabsorbent sheets configured to be mounted to a surface. The stack caninclude a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of opposed side edges. Thestack can further be configured such that a plurality of the absorbentsheets each include an area of weakness to facilitate separation of anabsorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets at an averageseparation force (F_(separation)). The stack can also include a mountingsystem. The mounting system can include a first fastening componentconfigured to be coupled to a back surface of the stack of absorbentsheets. A force to separate the first fastening component from the stackof absorbent sheets is F₁. The mounting system can additionally includea second fastening component configured to be coupled to the firstfastening component and to the surface. A force to separate the secondfastening component from the first fastening component is F₂. A force toseparate the second fastening component from the surface is F₃. Thestack of absorbent sheets can be configured such thatF_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.

In another embodiment the present invention provides a stack ofabsorbent sheets configured b be mounted to a surface. The stack caninclude a plurality of absorbent sheets each including an area ofweakness to facilitate separation of an absorbent sheet from the stackof absorbent sheets at an average separation force (F_(separation)). Theplurality of absorbent sheets can provide a top edge of the stack, abottom edge of the stack, and a pair of opposed edges of the stack. Thestack of absorbent sheets can further include a mounting system. Themounting system can include a first fastening component configured to becoupled to a back surface of the stack of absorbent sheets. The mountingsystem can further include a second fastening component configured to becoupled to the first fastening component and to the surface. Themounting system can be configured such that a force to separate thesecond fastening component from the first fastening component (F₂) isless than a force to separate the second fastening component from thesurface (F₃) such that the first fastening component is configured todisengage from the second fastening component upon an application of aforce to the stack of absorbent sheets (F_(pull)) that is greater thanor equal to F₂ but is less than F₃.

In yet another embodiment the present invention provides a stack ofabsorbent sheets including a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair ofopposed side edges. The stack includes a plurality of absorbent sheetseach including a perforation line to facilitate separation of anabsorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets at an averageseparation force (F_(separation)). The stack can also include a backingsheet. The backing sheet can include a back portion coupled to abottom-most absorbent sheet in the stack of absorbent sheets. The stackcan further include a mounting system configured to mount the pluralityof absorbent sheets to a surface. The mounting system can include afirst fastening component coupled to the backing sheet with adhesive andthat includes a loop fastener. A force to separate the first fasteningcomponent from the backing sheet is F₁. The mounting system can alsoinclude a second fastening component configured to be coupled to thesurface with adhesive and that includes a hook fastener to couple to theloop fastener of the first fastening component. A force to separate thesecond fastening component from the first fastening component is F₂. Aforce to separate the second fastening component tom the surface is F₃.The stack is configured such that F_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a mounting system for a stackof absorbent sheets according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the mounting system and stack of absorbentsheets of FIG. 1 mounted to a vertical surface;

FIG. 2A is a detailed, exploded view taken along line 2A-2A from FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the mounting system and stack of absorbentsheets of FIG. 2 after the first fastening component disengages from thesecond fastening component;

FIG. 4 is a perspective, exploded view of a mounting system for a stackof absorbent sheets according to another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a detach testing apparatusincluding second fastening components used in the Detach TensileStrength Test Method as described herein;

FIG. 6 is a rear plan view of a stack of absorbent sheets includingfirst fastening components coupled to the backing sheet on the stack ofabsorbent sheets; and

FIG. 7 is a front view of a tensile tester, detach testing apparatus ofFIG. 5, stack of absorbent sheets of FIG. 6, and mounting systemcomponents from FIGS. 5 and 6 as used in the Detach Tensile StrengthTest Method as described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

The invention relates to a mounting system 10 for a stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14, such as paper towels, toilet tissue, napkins,facial tissue, and the like. The mounting system 10 is configured formounting a stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 to a variety of surfaces 42and orientations.

The stack 12 is generally formed from a plurality of absorbent sheets 14stacked one on top of the other in face-to-face relation. The stack 12can include a top edge 16, a bottom edge 18, and a pair of opposed sideedges 20, 22. The stack 12 can have a top-most sheet 15 and abottom-most sheet 17. The bottom-most sheet 17 can form the back surface30 of the stack 12. The distance between the top and bottom edges 16, 18generally defines the stack length (L) and the distance between the pairof opposed side edges 20, 22 defines a stack width (W).

The absorbent sheets 14 are preferably fibrous sheet material. In aparticularly preferred embodiment the sheets 14 comprise a cellulosicfibrous material, such as wood pulp, cotton linters, or the like.However, in other embodiments, the sheets 14 may comprise syntheticfibers, such as polyolefin or polyester fibers. In still otherembodiments the sheets 14 may comprise a mixture of cellulosic andsynthetic fibers. In certain instances, the absorbent sheets 14 maycomprise wet laid tissue products such as bath tissue, facial tissue,paper towels, napkins, or the like. In other instances, the absorbentsheets 14 may comprise nonwoven materials formed from synthetic fibersor blends of synthetic and cellulosic fibers with similar properties tothose of wet laid tissue products formed from cellulosic fibers. Incertain embodiments the absorbent sheets 14 may comprise nonwovenairlaid sheets comprising synthetic fibers, binders, wet strengthagents, and the like.

Further, while in certain instances, such as those illustrated in thepresent figures, the stack 12 may be formed from absorbent sheets 14comprising a single ply, it is to be understood that the presentdisclosure is not so limited and the absorbent sheets 14 may comprisetwo or more plies, such as two, three or four plies. The plies mayconsist substantially of the same fibrous material, or they may bedifferent. For example, in one embodiment all of the plies comprise woodpulp fibers. In another embodiment one ply comprises synthetic fibersand another ply comprises wood pulp fibers.

The absorbent sheets 14 may be folded or unfolded. In certainembodiments the individual sheets within the stack 12 may be folded toform a folded sheet having multi-layers. Upon removal of an individualsheet 14 from the stack 12 it may be unfolded to yield a singleabsorbent sheet 14 having a surface area greater than the surface areaof the stack 12. Accordingly, individual absorbent sheets 14 within astack 12, in an embodiment, may be in a folded configuration such ashalf-folds or quarter-folds of the sheets 14. For example, a sheet 14having a half-fold configuration may have four different edges, a firstend and a second end, opposite the first end. Other foldingconfigurations may also be useful herein, for example, Z-folds, orC-folds.

Further, it should be understood that the sheets 14 and the resultingstack 12 may take any number of different shapes and that while it maybe desirable for two or more edges of sheets 14 to be parallel with oneanother, the invention is not so limited. Additionally, the size ofindividual sheets 14 and the number of sheets 14 in the stack 12corresponds to the number of usable units desired in the finished tissueproduct.

In particularly preferred embodiments the stacks 12 comprise absorbentsheet material having a basis weight greater than about 10 grams persquare meter (gsm, measured using TAPPI test method T-220) such as fromabout 10 to about 100 gsm and more preferably from about 15 to about 70gsm. In other embodiments the sheets may have a caliper (measured inaccordance with TAPPI test method T402 using an EMVECO 200-A Microgageautomated micrometer (EMVECO, Inc., Newberg, Oreg.)) greater than about200 μm, such as from about 200 to about 2,000 μm. Further, the absorbentsheet material may have a specific absorbency greater than about 2.0g/g, such as from about 2.0 to about 15.0 g/g and more preferably fromabout 5.0 to about 10.0 g/g. As used herein, the term “specificabsorbency” generally refers to the amount of water absorbed by a paperproduct (single ply or multi ply) or a sheet, expressed as grams ofwater absorbed per gram of fiber (dry weight) and is measured asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,753,751, the contents of which areincorporated by reference in a manner consistent with the presentdisclosure.

In other embodiments the absorbent sheets 14 have a dry geometric meantensile strength (measured in accordance with TAPPI test method T-494om-01) greater than about 500 g/3″, and more preferably greater thanabout 750 g/3″ and still more preferably greater than about 1,000 g/3″,such as from about 500 to about 3,500 g/3″ and more preferably fromabout 1,000 to about 2,500 g/3″. In this manner the absorbent sheets 14have sufficient tensile strength to withstand the force necessary todetach individual sheets 14 from the stack 12.

In certain preferred embodiments the absorbent sheets 14 comprise a wetlaid tissue product that has been manufactured by through-air drying,such as tissue products disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,480. In otherembodiments the absorbent sheets 14 comprise a wet laid tissue productthat has been manufactured by through-air drying and without creping,such as tissue products disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,753,751. Thethrough-air dried absorbent sheets 14 may be embossed and may comprise,one or more plies, such as one, two or three plies.

In other embodiments the absorbent sheets 14 may comprise wet laidtissue products having at least one surface that has been treated with abinder, such as tissue products disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,462,258.Suitable binders include, without limitation, latex binder materialssuch as acrylates, vinyl acetates, vinyl chlorides and methacrylates,and the like. The binders may be created or blended with any suitablecross-linker, such as N-Methylolacrylamide (NMA), or may be free ofcross-linkers. Particular examples of latex binder materials that can beused in the present invention include AIRFLEX® EN1165 available from AirProducts Inc. Other suitable binders include, without limitation,carboxylated ethylene vinyl acetate terpolymer; acrylics; polyvinylchloride; styrene-butadiene; polyurethanes; silicone materials, such ascurable silicone resins, organoreactive polysiloxanes and otherderivatives of polydimethylsiloxane; fluoropolymers, such astetrafluoroethylene; hydrophobic coacervates or complexes of anionic andcationic polymers, such as complexes of polyvinylamines andpolycarboxylic acids; polyolefins and emulsions or compounds thereof;and many other film-forming compounds known in the art, as well asmodified versions of the foregoing materials. The binder materials canbe substantially latex-free or substantially natural latex-free in someembodiments.

In those embodiments where the absorbent sheets 14 comprise a binder itmay be preferable that the binder is discontinuous in the sense that itis not a solid film in order to allow liquid or moisture to penetrateinto the sheet 14. It can be present in the form of a regularly orirregularly spaced-apart pattern of uniform or non-uniform deposits,such as provided by printing or a thinly-applied spray, for example. Inone particular embodiment, the deposits can have a diameter of about0.02 inch (0.51 mm) and can be present in the pattern so that depositsextend in both the machine direction and the cross-machine direction.

For each of the two outer surfaces of the absorbent sheet 14, thepercent surface area coverage of the binder, as projected in a plan viewof the surface, can be from about 10 to about 70 percent, morespecifically from about 10 to about 60 percent, more specifically fromabout 15 to about 60 percent, more specifically from about 20 to about60 percent, and still more specifically from about 25 to about 50percent. The surface area coverage of each outer surface can be the sameor different. As used herein, “surface area overage” refers to thepercent of the total area covered by the binder when measuring at least6 square inches (38.7 square centimeters) of the sheet surface.

Regardless of the percent surface area coverage of the binder, thebinder is not preferentially disposed on any single surface region ofthe sheet 14. Rather, the binder is generally disposed throughout thesurface area of the sheet 14. For example, the binder may be disposed onthe sheet surface in a continuous or semi-continuous pattern such thatthe percent surface area coverage of the binder, as projected in a planview of the surface, can be from about 10 to about 70 percent, in boththe sheet surface area that is compressed and uncompressed.

The total add-on amount of the binder, based on the weight of theproduct, can be about 2 weight percent or more, more specifically fromabout 2 to about 20 dry weight percent, more specifically tom about 4 toabout 9 dry weight percent, still more specifically from about 5 toabout 8 dry weight percent. The add-on amount can be affected by thedesired surface area coverage and the penetration depth of the deposits.The add-on amount applied to each outer surface of the product can bethe same or different.

Regardless of the particular construction of the absorbent sheetmaterials, in certain preferred embodiments the stack 12 is formedwithout the addition of adhesives. As such, in a preferred embodiment,each sheet in the stack 12 has a front and back surface having asubstantially similar composition from its top edge to its bottom edgeand from its first side edge to its second side edge. In this mannerthere is no material selectively disposed on only a portion of the sheetsurface such that when two facing surfaces of sheets are stacked andarranged they are attached to one another.

The stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 can be configured such that at leasta plurality of the absorbent sheets 14 each include an area of weakness24 that facilitate separation of one absorbent sheet 14 from the stack12. The area of weakness 24 can be a scored linear segment (ornon-linear segment) extending between side edges 20,22 of the stack 12or a perforation segment. The perforation segment can be linear asdepicted in FIG. 1, but could alternatively be non-linear. As depictedin FIG. 1, in some preferred embodiments, the area of weakness 24 can bea line of perforation on each absorbent sheet 14 in the stack 12. Insome embodiments, the area of weakness 24 can be a perforation lineseated by a 15 perf blade. As is conventional in the art, a 15 perfblade refers to a blade that leaves 15% of the area of weakness 24 ofthe sheet 14 still intact after applying the perf blade to the sheet 14to form the area of weakness 24. In other embodiments, the area ofweakness 24 can be a perforation line created by a 20 perf blade. Insome embodiments, the perf blade can have 0.025″ teeth, while in otherembodiments, the perf blade can have 0.035″ teeth. In some embodiments,the perf blade can be a rotary perf blade, but it is contemplated thatother suitable configurations of perf blades can be employed.

The stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 can be configured such that aplurality of the absorbent sheets 14 include an area of weakness 24configured to facilitate separation of an absorbent sheet 14 from thestack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 at an average separation force(F_(separation)). In preferred embodiments where the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14 is paper towel, the F_(separation) can be less thanabout 2400 gf as measured by the Detach Tensile Strength Test Method asdescribed herein. More preferably, the F_(separation) can be less thanabout 2000 gf. In some preferred embodiments, the F_(separation) can bebetween about 1000 gf to about 2000 gf. Of course, the F_(separation)can be adjusted outside of these ranges depending on the substrateforming the absorbent sheets 14 in the stack 12, the intended use of theabsorbent sheets 14, and/or the desired orientation of the mountingsystem 10 and the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14.

In some embodiments, the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 can include abacking sheet 26. The backing sheet 26 can include a back portion 28that is coupled to the back surface 30 of the stack 12 of absorbentsheets 14. In some embodiments, the backing sheet 26 can include a topportion 32 that is bent over the top edge 16 of the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14 and can include a facing 34 that is coupled to thefront surface 36 of the stack 14 of absorbent sheets 14 to bind thestack 12. It is generally preferred that at least one edge of the stack12 is unbound and more preferably at least two edges and still morepreferably at least three edges are unbound. In this manner the user mayreadily grasp an unbound edge and dispense the top-most sheet 15 fromthe stack 12. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, the backing sheet26 binds the top edge 16 of the stack 12, but the bottom edge 18 and theopposed side edges 20, 22 are unbound. In those embodiments where abacking sheet 26 is folded over b partially envelop the sheets 14, anadhesive may be provided between the folded over backing sheet 26 andthe absorbent sheets 14. Alternately, a backing sheet 26 may beprovided, but not folded over the sheets 14 so as to provide rigidity tothe stack 12. In such embodiments the backing sheet 26 may be adhesivelyattached to the bottom-most sheet 17 in the stack 12.

In preferred embodiments, the backing sheet 26 can be configured toextend the full width (W) of the stack 12, however, in other embodimentsthe backing sheet 26 can be configured such that the backing sheet 26can extend less than the full width (W) of the stack 12. As illustratedin FIGS. 1-3, the back portion 28 of the backing sheet 26 can beconfigured such that it does not extend the full length (L) of the stack12. But in some embodiments, it is contemplated that the back portion 28of the backing sheet 26 can be configured to extend the full length (L)of the stack 12 such that the bottom-most sheet 17 in the stack 12 iscompletely covered by the back portion 28 of the backing sheet 26.

The backing sheet 26 may be formed from a material having a stiffnessgreater than that of the absorbent sheets 14, such as cardboard or thelike. The stiffness of a material may be measured using a Taberstiffness test described in ASTM standard D5650-97. As used herein TaberStiffness and Taber Stiffness Units are generally reported as the MDmeasurement of a sample and are reported without reference to units. Forexample, the Taber Stiffness of the backing sheet 26 may be about 2times greater, such as from about 2 to about 20 times greater, than theTaber Stiffness of the absorbent sheet material. In particularlypreferred embodiments the backing sheet 26 and the absorbent sheetmaterial not only differ in Taber Stiffness, but are formed fromdifferent materials. For example, in one embodiment the backing sheet 26is formed from paperboard and has a machine-direction (MD) stiffness(measured as Taber Stiffness Units) greater than about 200 cm*gf andmore preferably greater than about 250 cm*gf and the absorbent sheet 14is a cellulosic towel having a machine-direction (MD) stiffness(measured as Taber Stiffness Units) less than about 5.0 and morepreferably less than about 3.0.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the mounting system 10 can include a firstfastening component 38 and a second fastening component 40. The firstfastening component 38 can be configured to be coupled to a back surface30 of the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14. Preferably, the firstfastening component 38 is configured to be coupled to the backing sheet26 if one is present on the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14. Moreparticularly, the first fastening component 38 can be configured to becoupled to the back portion 28 of the backing sheet 26, as depicted inFIG. 2. The second fastening component 40 can be configured to becoupled to the first fastening component 38 and to a surface 42 to whichit is desired to mount the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14. The surface42 can be a vertical surface (such as depicted in FIGS. 2, 2A, and 3), ahorizontal surface, an angled surface, or an irregular shaped surface.In preferred embodiments, the surface 42 may be a vertical surface thata user may desire to mount the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 to, suchas a wall or the side of a cupboard.

In some embodiments, the first fastening component 38 and the secondfastening component 40 can be configured to have different couplingmechanisms for coupling to adjacent components. For example, the firstfastening component 38 can be configured to include an adhesive on afirst side 38 a b couple the first fastening component 38 to the backsurface 30 of the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14, or more particularly,to the back portion 28 of the backing sheet 26. The first fasteningcomponent 38 can also include one of a hook fastener or a loop fasteneron a second side 38 b of the first fastening component 38. The secondfastening component 40 can include the other of a hook fastener or aloop fastener on a first side 40 a of the second fastening component 40.In referring to a ‘hook fastener’ herein, it is to be appreciated thatsuch term refers broadly to any suitable mechanical fastener adapted bengage loop components including, e.g., hooks, bulbs, mushrooms,arrowheads, balls on stems, stems, structures having stems that engagefoam such as open cell foam or the like, etc. The second fasteningcomponent 40 can also include an adhesive on a second side 40 b of thesecond fastening component 40 to couple the second fastening component40 to the surface 42 to which it is desired to mount the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14.

In one preferred embodiment, the second side 38 b of the first fasteningcomponent 38 can include a loop fastener and the first side 40 a of thesecond fastening component 40 can include a hook fastener. Having thehook fastener be disposed on the first side 40 a of the second fasteningcomponent 40 provides a durability advantage in the mounting system 10because a hook structure may be more durable in comparison to some loopstructures, and thus, the second fastening component 40 can remain onthe surface 42 to which the user desires to mount the stack 12 andremain effective for engaging with the first fastening component 38 overseveral replacement stacks 12 being mounted in the same location by auser. New replacement stacks 12 of absorbent sheets 14 provide anopportunity to include a new first fastening component 38 including aloop fastener if desired, whereas the second fastening component 40including a hook fastener can be reused for several replacement stacks12. In one preferred embodiment of a mounting system 10 that was tested,the loop fastener forming part of the first fastening component 38 canbe a ¾″ Black B-10 PSA WDS4 Pet Liner loop fastener, as manufactured byNam Liong Enterprise Co., Ltd. The second fastening component 40 can beconfigured as a barn Command™ Strip (such as the 3M Command™ SmallPicture Hanging Strip), as manufactured by Minnesota Mining andManufacturing, that includes adhesive on a second side 40 b of thesecond fastening component 40 and a hook fastener on the first side 40 aof the second fastening component 40.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3, the mounting system 10includes a balanced network of forces between components such that themounting system 10 can mount the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 to adesired surface 42 with sufficient stability to allow for reliabledispensing of absorbent sheets 14 from the stack 12, but also preventdamage to the surface 42 to which the stack 12 is mounted. The mountingsystem 10 prevents damage to the surface 42 by being configured toinclude a break away feature, which is described with more detail withrespect to FIGS. 2A and 3.

FIG. 2A depicts an exploded, detailed view taken along line 2A-2A fromFIG. 2 and is helpful for describing the balanced network of forceswithin the components of the mounting system 10 that provide thebreak-away feature of the mounting system 10. It is to be noted thatalthough various force vectors are shown in particular directions inFIGS. 2A and 3, the general force ratios described are not limited bforces applied only in such directions as depicted. The mounting system10 can be configured such that the first fastening component 38 isconfigured to be coupled to a back surface 30 of the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14, such as by being coupled to the back portion 28 ofthe backing sheet 26. The first fastening component 38 can be configuredsuch that a force required to separate the first fastening component 38from the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 is defined as F₁. The firstfastening component 38 can be coupled to the stack 12 of absorbentsheets 14 through engagement of the first side 38 a of the firstfastening component 38 and the back surface 30 of the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14, which can be at least partially formed by the backportion 28 of the backing sheet 26. The second fastening component canbe configured such that a force required to separate the secondfastening component 40 from the first fastening component 38 is definedas F₂. The second fastening component 40 can be coupled to the firstfastening component 38 through engagement between the first side 40 a ofthe second fastening component 40 and the second side of the firstfastening component 38 b. The second fastening component 40 can befurther configured such that a force required to separate the secondfastening component 40 from the surface 42 to which the stack 12 ismounted is defined as F₃. Also depicted in FIG. 2A, the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14 can be configured to facilitate separation of anabsorbent sheet 14 from the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 at anaverage separation force depicted as F_(separation).

To provide the break-away feature, the mounting system 10 can beconfigured such that the force F₂ to separate the second fasteningcomponent 40 from the first fastening component 38 is less than a forceF₃ to separate the second fastening component 40 from the surface 42such that the first fastening component 38 is configured to disengagefrom the second fastening component 40 upon an application of a forceFpm to the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 that is greater than or equalto F₂ but is less than F₃. This break-away feature of the mountingsystem 10 is depicted in FIG. 3, which illustrates how the secondfastening component 40 disengages from the first fastening component 38.In other words, the mounting system 10 is configured such that if a userpulls on several absorbent sheets 14 of the stack 12, or pulls on theentire stack 12 itself (or some other significant force is applied tothe stack) with such force (labeled as Fes) that is greater than theforce F₂ required to separate the second fastening component 40 from thefirst fastening component 38, but less than the force F₃ required toseparate the second fastening component 40 from the surface 42, then thesecond fastening component 40 and the first fastening component 38disengage from one another. Although the second fastening component 40and the first fastening component 38 disengage from one another, thefirst fastening component 38 can still remain coupled to the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14 and the second fastening component 40 can stillremain coupled to the surface 42 as depicted in FIG. 3. By having thisbreak away feature within the mounting system 10 where F₂<F₃, thesurface 42 is protected by not having the bond between the secondfastening component 40 and the surface 42 being broken.

The break-away feature of having F₂<F₃ in the mounting system 10 canalso have the benefit of providing access to the second fasteningcomponent 40 to change the location of where the stack 12 of absorbentsheets 14 is desired to be mounted to the surface 42. For example, oncethe first fastening component 38 is disengaged from the second fasteningcomponent 40, a user can disengage the second fastening component 40from the surface 42 and modify the position of the second fasteningcomponent 40 with respect to the surface 42 to change the mountinglocation of the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14. Furthermore, when astack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 is completely used such that noabsorbent sheets 14 remain in the stack 12, the break-away feature canalso allow a user to easily replenish a new stack 12 of absorbent sheets14 to the mounting location on the surface 42 by providing a new stack12 of absorbent sheets 14 with a first fastening component 38 andcoupling the first fastening component 38 to the second fasteningcomponent 40 that has not moved locations from the surface 42.

In preferred embodiments, the mounting system 10 can be furtherconfigured such that F_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁. Looking at the balancingof forces specified by this equation, the mounting system 10 ispreferably configured such that the force F_(separation) required toseparate an absorbent sheet 14 from the stack 12 is less than the forceF₂ required to separate the second fastening component 40 from the firstfastening component 38. By having F_(separation)<F₂, a user can reliablydispense a single absorbent sheet 14 from the stack 12 of absorbentsheets 14 without having the mounting system 10 disengage from its owncomponents or from the surface 42.

It is also preferable to have the force F₂ required to separate thesecond fastening component 40 from the first fastening component 38 beless than the force F₁ required to separate the first fasteningcomponent 38 from the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14. By configuringthe mounting system 10 such that F₂<F₁, the first fastening component 38can remain coupled to the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 if thebreak-away feature is engaged (where a user pulls on the absorbentsheets 14 or stack 12 with F_(pull)>F₂). This force ratio of F₂<F₁prevents the back surface 30 of the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14(such as the back portion 28 of the backing sheet 26) from beingpotentially damaged when the break-away feature is engaged and preventsthe user from having to re-attach or re-couple the first fasteningcomponent 38 to the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14.

From the discussion above, it can be seen that the particular balancingof forces designed within the mounting system 10 can provide severaladvantages including allowing reliable dispensing of a single absorbentsheet 14 from the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14, protecting thesurface 42 to which the stack 12 is mounted, allowing access forrepositioning of where the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 is mounted toa surface, and providing simple replacement of a new stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14 to a desired mounting location on a surface 42.

It is contemplated that other mounting systems 10 can be configureddifferently than the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-3, but still bewithin the scope of this disclosure. For example, FIG. 4 depicts onealternative mounting system 110 that includes more than one firstfastening component 38. The mounting system 110 of FIG. 4 is alsoconfigured to include more than one second fastening component 40. It isalso contemplated that a mounting system 10 could be configured suchthat it includes two first fastening components 38 with a single secondfastening component 40, or such that it includes a single firstfastening component 38 with two second fastening components 40. Whetherthe mounting system 10 includes a single first fastening component 38and a single second fastening component 40 (as depicted in FIGS. 1-3) ormore than one first fastening component 38 and/or more than one secondfastening component 40, it is desirable to have the first fasteningcomponent(s) 38 be configured such that first fastening component(s) 38is coupled to the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 at or substantiallyadjacent to the top edge 16 of the stack 12 and at or substantially nearthe side edges 20, 22 of the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14. Such aconfiguration provides more stability when the user is dispensingabsorbent sheets 14 from the stack 12.

It can be appreciated that the size and orientation the first fasteningcomponent 38 and the second fastening component 40 of the mountingsystems 10, 110 as described herein can be modified without departingfrom the spirit of this disclosure. However, it is to be noted that itcan be preferable to have the first fastening component(s) 38 and thesecond fastening component(s) 40 be configured such that the greatestdimensional length of the first fastening component(s) 38 and thegreatest dimensional length of the second fastening component(s) 40 arealigned horizontally as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 4. In other words, themounting system 10 can be configured such that the longest dimensionalcharacteristic of the first fastening component(s) 38 and the longestdimensional characteristic of the second fastening component(s) 40 bothalign with a direction substantially parallel to the width (W) of stack12 of absorbent sheets 14. Such an orientation of the first fasteningcomponent(s) 38 and the second fastening component(s) 40 can resist moreof the varied orientation of F_(pull), or the varied direction in whicha user may pull on one or more absorbent sheets 14 from the stack 12 ofabsorbent sheets 14.

To manufacture a bound stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 according to thepresent invention, a plurality of sheets 14 are cut to size and stackedin facing arrangement. In a particularly preferred embodiment, thesheets 14 are stacked in alignment with one another, that is that themachine directions of the sheets 14 are aligned with one another. Insome embodiments, the sheets 14 can be bound together using adhesive anda backing sheet 26. In other embodiments, the sheets 14 can be bonded toone to one another using thermal fusion bonding. The bonding may be donein a continuous fashion throughout one dimension of the stack 12 ofsheets 14 or may be discrete so as to create discrete bonded areas. Insome embodiments, the stack 12 of sheets 14 can include a bindingelement having areas of various thicknesses and/or stitching to adjointhe sheets 14 in the stack 12.

Test Methods

Detach Tensile Strength Test Method

The Detach Tensile Strength Test Method can be used to measure the forcerequired to separate an absorbent sheet 14 from a stack 12 of absorbentsheets 14 as an average separation force (F_(separation)). This testmethod was developed using the MTS TestWorks® Tensile Tester 56 that iscompatible for Windows® Software. This test method will be describedwith respect to FIGS. 5-7.

In the Detach Tensile Strength Test Method, the test method describesthe following definitions:

-   -   A. Tensile Strength (Peak Load)—a force measured as Tensile        Strength, or the maximum force produced by a specimen when it is        pulled to rupture during the test. Peak load will, in general,        be affected by the strain rate at which a material is pulled.        When conducting this test method.    -   B. Slack—the length of excess material of an absorbent sheet 14        lying between the upper and lower grips at the start of the        test. The material's looseness must be pulled out before a        tension can be put on the specimen. Test elongation may be        measured from the start of the crosshead movement or when the        specimen starts producing force. The latter elongation measure        is called slack corrected elongation.        -   Note: It is almost impossible to load an easily extensible            specimen into the specimen grips/jaw without either preload            or slack. Since preload can damage a specimen, causing an            inaccurate measurement, it is typically better to have some            slack in the specimen during loading. Slack can then be            accounted for in the strain measurements by the MTS            TestWorks® program, preventing any errors. However,            excessive slack should still be avoided to ensure no            excessive deviation in the specimen strain rate.    -   C. Sheet—a total finished product absorbent sheet unit 14,        regardless of the number of plies.    -   D. Break Sensitivity—The percentage load drop from the maximum        peak load at which the break point is defined. The break        detection is continuously monitored during a test and the        current load is compared to the highest load currently recorded        for the test. If the break sensitivity is set too low, a test        may prematurely terminate due to temporary load drops. If the        break sensitivity is set too high, energy-to-break numbers may        be artificially high.    -   E. Corrected Gage Length—The specified nominal test        specification gage length, plus the measured amount of specimen        slack. When slack is a significant proportion of the nominal        test specimen gage length, strain calculations may have        significant error unless the corrected gage length is used as        the base.    -   F. Preload—The force put on the specimen when inserted into the        grips. Whenever possible, the preload should be kept to under 15        grams-force. DO NOT exceed 25 grams-force of preload. If this        force is exceeded, discard the specimen and test a new sample.        -   Note: On the MTS TestWorks® program, when the preload            exceeds 25 grams-force, only the peak load results will be            printed.    -   G. Detach-Testing Apparatus (DTA)—The attachment apparatus 50        being used for testing in the Detach Tensile Strength Test        Method, and as depicted in FIGS. 5 and 7. The DTA is inserted        into the top insert 52 in the upper MTS Tensile Frame 54 of the        tensile machine 56 and holds the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14        in place.    -   H. F_(separation)—The measure of the strength of the area of        weakness 24 on an absorbent sheet 14.

Preparation of Apparatus and Materials

-   -   Verify the appropriate load cell is in the tensile tester.    -   For load cell conditioning (warm up), refer to the        manufacturer's specifications.    -   Install 10-inch tensile frame 58 on the bottom portion 60 of the        tensile machine 56.    -   Ensure the grips and grip faces are free from build-up and that        the grips do not exhibit dents or other damages. Use an alcohol        pad to clean inside of grips if there is residue.    -   Ensure the air pressure to operate the grips is not set beyond        the manufacture's maximum loading specifications. Note: Air        pressure should not exceed 414±20.7 kPa (60±3 psi).    -   Open MTS TestWorks® software.    -   Open a new test titled “Versace Perf Strength” and enter sample        name when prompted.    -   Verify the tensile tester parameters meet the following        specifications as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Various Tensile Tester Parameters Load Cell 100N (alternatively,50N) Crosshead Speed 50 in/min Gage Length 9.0 inches Load Units gfFull-Scale Load 90N Specimen Width width W of absorbent sheets 14 asmeasured in inches Break Sensitivity 65% drop from the maximum peak loadSlack Compensation 25 grams Slope Preset Points 70 and 157 grams LoadLimit High 9000 gf

Test Specimen Preparation

The material should be prepared for testing only after AMBIENTconditions have been met in the testing location, preferably alaboratory. A minimum of 4 hours is recommended to have the testinglocation achieve ambient conditions. For the procedure at hand, TAPPIconditions should be used. During specimen preparations and throughouttesting, handling of the specimens should be minimized to reduce biasingthe results.

-   -   Place the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 on a flat table top        surface, with the sheet side against the table.    -   As depicted in FIG. 6, couple the first fastening component(s)        38 to the back 30 of the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14, such        as on the back portion 28 of the backing sheet 26. In        embodiments including two first fastening components 38, the        first fastening components 38 should be placed near the top        portion 32 of the backing sheet 26 and near the edges 20, 22 of        the stack 12.    -   Place the Detach-Testing Apparatus 50 on a flat table top        surface, with the back of the frame on the table.    -   As illustrated in FIG. 5, couple the second fastening        component(s) 40 on the inside surface 62 of the Detach-Testing        Apparatus 50, 3 mm from each edge 64, 66.        -   Note: the first fastening component(s) 38 and the second            fastening component(s) 40 should be replaced after 25 uses            to ensure strength is upheld, where one “use” is defined as            attaching and detaching one stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14.    -   Ensure no debris is present on the Detach-Testing Apparatus 50.        If dust or marks exist, wipe clean with an alcohol pad and allow        to fully dry before proceeding.    -   Leaving the Detach-Testing Apparatus 50 on the table, align the        stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 with the Detach Testing        Apparatus 50 such that the first fastening component(s) 38 on        the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 align with the second        fastening component(s) 40 on the inside surface 62 of the        Detach-Testing Apparatus 50. Apply firm pressure for 30 seconds        such that the first fastening component(s) 38 and second        fastening component(s) 40 couple to one another.    -   Ensure that the stack 12 is coupled to the Detach-Testing        Apparatus 50 through the fastening components 38, 40 by lightly        pulling the entire stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 in a        downwards motion, parallel with the Detach-Testing Apparatus 50.        -   Note: If the stack 12 is not fully secured or if it comes            detached from the Detach-Testing Apparatus 50 after this            step, realign the first fastening component(s) 38 on the            stack 12 with the second fastening component(s) 40 on the            Detach-Testing Apparatus 50 and reapply pressure for 30            seconds.    -   Grasp the first five sheets in the stack 12 by the bottom corner        with one hand and remove all at once on the area of weakness 24        (e.g., perforation line).

Procedure

-   -   As depicted in FIG. 7, insert the Detach-Testing Apparatus 50        into the top insert 52 of the upper MTS tensile frame 54. Use        metal rod 64 to keep Detach-Testing Apparatus 50 secured in the        top insert 52.    -   Use foot pedal to release air pressure and open the bottom        tensile frame 58 near the bottom portion 60 of the tensile        machine 56.    -   Being aware of pinch points, insert the bottom of the top-most        sheet 15 of the stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14 into the bottom        tensile frame 58 and release foot on pedal to return air        pressure.        -   Note: As shown in FIG. 7, ideally there should be 2 mm from            the bottom edge 18 of the top-most sheet 15 to the bottom            edge 59 of the bottom tensile frame 58. If not, readjust the            gage length to meet this criteria.    -   Zero the load on the MTS TestWorks® software.    -   Start the crosshead.    -   When the test is finished and the crosshead has returned, remove        the top-most absorbent sheet 15 from the bottom tensile frame        58.    -   Record the peak load.    -   Insert the next absorbent sheet 14 (which now is the top-most        sheet 15) to repeat the test, following the steps above.    -   In the case that the sheet 14 does not fully tear through area        of weakness 24 (e.g., perforation line), or the first fastening        component(s) 38 become unattached from the second fastening        component(s) 40 on the Detach-Testing Apparatus 50, or the stack        12 of absorbent sheets 14 falls off the Detach-Testing Apparatus        50 during the test, then remove Detach-Testing Apparatus 50 from        the top insert 52 of the upper frame 54 of the MTS TestWorks®        Tensile device 56 and continue the test.        -   Note: In the event of a faulty run, remove the next 5 sheets            before testing again.    -   Complete this Procedure until desired number of samples is        reached, with a minimum of at least 5 peak loads for the        absorbent sheets 14 being measured.        -   Note: All specimens in the procedure should be taken from            the same stack 12 of absorbent sheets 14.    -   Average the peak loads and record result as F_(separation).

Results

-   -   Report the averaged peak load, which provides the        F_(separation), to the nearest 0.01 gf.

EMBODIMENTS

While the inventive mounting system for a stack of absorbent sheets andstacks of absorbent sheets have been described in detail with respect tothe specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that thoseskilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing,may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalentsto these embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present inventionshould be assessed as that of the appended claims and any equivalentsthereto and the foregoing embodiments:

Embodiment 1: A stack of absorbent sheets configured to be mounted to asurface, the stack including a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair ofopposed side edges, the stack comprising: a plurality of the absorbentsheets each including an area of weakness to facilitate separation of anabsorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets at an averageseparation force (F_(separation)); and a mounting system comprising: afirst fastening component configured to be coupled to a back surface ofthe stack of absorbent sheets, wherein a force to separate the firstfastening component from the stack of absorbent sheets is F₁; and asecond fastening component configured to be coupled to the firstfastening component and to the surface, wherein a force to separate thesecond fastening component from the first fastening component is F₂, andwherein a force to separate the second fastening component from thesurface is F₃; and wherein F_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.

Embodiment 2: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 1, wherein theabsorbent sheets are paper towels.

Embodiment 3: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 2, furthercomprising: a backing sheet, the backing sheet including a back portioncoupled to a bottom-most absorbent sheet in the stack of absorbentsheets.

Embodiment 4: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 3, wherein thefirst fastening component is coupled to the back portion of the backingsheet.

Embodiment 5: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 3 or 4,wherein the backing sheet further comprises a top portion and a facing.

Embodiment 6: The stack of absorbent sheets of any one of the precedingembodiments, wherein F_(separation) is less than about 2400 gf.

Embodiment 7: The stack of absorbent sheets of any one of the precedingembodiments, wherein F_(separation) is between about 1000-2000 gf.

Embodiment 8: The stack of absorbent sheets of any one of the precedingembodiments, wherein the area of weakness to facilitate separation of anabsorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets is a perforationsegment.

Embodiment 9: The stack of absorbent sheets of any one of embodiments3-5, wherein the first fastening component is coupled to the backingsheet with adhesive and includes one of a hook fastener or a loopfastener to couple to the second fastening component.

Embodiment 10: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 9, whereinthe second fastening component is coupled to the surface with adhesiveand includes the other of a hook fastener or a loop fastener to coupleto the first fastening component.

Embodiment 11: A stack of absorbent sheets configured to be mounted to asurface, the stack comprising: a plurality of absorbent sheets eachincluding an area of weakness to facilitate separation of an absorbentsheet from the stack of absorbent sheets at an average separation force(F_(separation)), the plurality of absorbent sheets providing a top edgeof the stack, a bottom edge of the stack, and a pair of opposed edges ofthe stack; and a mounting system comprising: a first fastening componentconfigured to be coupled to a back surface of the stack of absorbentsheets; and a second fastening component configured to be coupled to thefirst fastening component and to the surface; wherein a force b separatethe second fastening component from the first fastening component (F₂)is less than a force b separate the second fastening component from thesurface (F₃) such that the first fastening component is configured todisengage from the second fastening component upon an application of aforce to the stack of absorbent sheets (F_(pull)) that is greater thanor equal to F₂ but is less than F₃.

Embodiment 12: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 11, wherein aforce to separate the first fastening component from the stack ofabsorbent sheets is F₁, and wherein F_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.

Embodiment 13: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 11 or 12,wherein the absorbent sheets are paper towels.

Embodiment 14: The stack of absorbent sheets of any one of embodiments11-13, wherein the stack of absorbent sheets further comprises a backingsheet, the backing sheet including a back portion coupled to abottom-most absorbent sheet in the stack of absorbent sheets.

Embodiment 15: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 14, whereinthe first fastening component is coupled to the back portion of thebacking sheet.

Embodiment 16: The stack of absorbent sheets of any one of embodiments11-15, wherein F_(separation) is between about 1000-2400 gf.

Embodiment 17: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 14 or 15,wherein the first fastening component is coupled to the backing sheetwith adhesive and includes one of a hook fastener or a loop fastener tocouple to the second fastening component.

Embodiment 18: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 17, whereinthe second fastening component is coupled to the surface with adhesiveand includes the other of a hook fastener or a loop fastener to coupleto the first fastening component.

Embodiment 19: A stack of absorbent sheets including a top edge, abottom edge, and a pair of opposed side edges, the stack comprising: aplurality of absorbent sheets each including a perforation line tofacilitate separation of an absorbent sheet from the stack of absorbentsheets at an average separation force (F_(separation)); a backing sheet,the backing sheet including a back portion coupled to a bottom-mostabsorbent sheet in the stack of absorbent sheets; and a mounting systemconfigured to mount the plurality of absorbent sheets to a surface, themounting system comprising: a first fastening component coupled to thebacking sheet with adhesive and includes a loop fastener, wherein aforce to separate the first fastening component from the backing sheetis F₁; and a second fastening component configured to be coupled to thesurface with adhesive and includes a hook fastener to couple to the loopfastener of the first fastening component, wherein a force to separatethe second fastening component tom the first fastening component is F₂,and wherein a force to separate the second fastening component from thesurface is F₃; and wherein F_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.

Embodiment 20: The stack of absorbent sheets of embodiment 19, whereinthe absorbent sheets are paper towels.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stack of absorbent sheets configured to bemounted to a surface, the stack including a top edge, a bottom edge, anda pair of opposed side edges, the stack comprising: a plurality of theabsorbent sheets each including an area of weakness to facilitateseparation of an absorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets atan average separation force (F_(separation)); and a mounting systemcomprising: a first fastening component configured to be coupled to aback surface of the stack of absorbent sheets, wherein a force toseparate the first fastening component from the stack of absorbentsheets is F₁; and a second fastening component configured to be coupledto the first fastening component and to the surface, wherein a force toseparate the second fastening component from the first fasteningcomponent is F₂, and wherein a force to separate the second fasteningcomponent from the surface is F₃; and wherein F_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.2. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 1, wherein the absorbentsheets are paper towels.
 3. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 2,further comprising: a backing sheet, the backing sheet including a backportion coupled to a bottom-most absorbent sheet in the stack ofabsorbent sheets.
 4. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 3, whereinthe first fastening component is coupled to the back portion of thebacking sheet.
 5. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 3, wherein thebacking sheet further comprises a top portion and a facing.
 6. The stackof absorbent sheets of claim 1, wherein F_(separation) is less thanabout 2400 gf.
 7. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 1, whereinF_(separation) is between about 1000-2000 gf.
 8. The stack of absorbentsheets of claim 7, wherein the area of weakness to facilitate separationof an absorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets is aperforation segment.
 9. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 3,wherein the first fastening component is coupled to the backing sheetwith adhesive and includes one of a hook fastener or a loop fastener tocouple to the second fastening component.
 10. The stack of absorbentsheets of claim 9, wherein the second fastening component is coupled tothe surface with adhesive and includes the other of a hook fastener or aloop fastener to couple to the first fastening component.
 11. A stack ofabsorbent sheets configured to be mounted to a surface, the stackcomprising: a plurality of absorbent sheets each including an area ofweakness to facilitate separation of an absorbent sheet from the stackof absorbent sheets at an average separation force (F_(separation)), theplurality of absorbent sheets providing a top edge of the stack, abottom edge of the stack, and a pair of opposed edges of the stack; anda mounting system comprising: a first fastening component configured tobe coupled to a back surface of the stack of absorbent sheets; and asecond fastening component configured to be coupled to the firstfastening component and to the surface; wherein a force to separate thesecond fastening component from the first fastening component (F₂) isless than a force to separate the second fastening component from thesurface (F₃) such that the first fastening component is configured todisengage from the second fastening component upon an application of aforce to the stack of absorbent sheets (F_(pull)) that is greater thanor equal to F₂ but is less than F₃.
 12. The stack of absorbent sheets ofclaim 11, wherein a force to separate the first fastening component fromthe stack of absorbent sheets is F₁, and whereinF_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.
 13. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 11,wherein the absorbent sheets are paper towels.
 14. The stack ofabsorbent sheets of claim 11, wherein the stack of absorbent sheetsfurther comprises a backing sheet, the backing sheet including a backportion coupled to a bottom-most absorbent sheet in the stack ofabsorbent sheets.
 15. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 14, whereinthe first fastening component is coupled to the back portion of thebacking sheet.
 16. The stack of absorbent sheets of claim 11, whereinF_(separation) is between about 1000-2400 gf.
 17. The stack of absorbentsheets of claim 14, wherein the first fastening component is coupled tothe backing sheet with adhesive and includes one of a hook fastener or aloop fastener to couple to the second fastening component.
 18. The stackof absorbent sheets of claim 17, wherein the second fastening componentis coupled to the surface with adhesive and includes the other of a hookfastener or a loop fastener to couple to the first fastening component.19. A stack of absorbent sheets including a top edge, a bottom edge, anda pair of opposed side edges, the stack comprising: a plurality ofabsorbent sheets each including a perforation line to facilitateseparation of an absorbent sheet from the stack of absorbent sheets atan average separation force (F_(separation)); a backing sheet, thebacking sheet including a back portion coupled to a bottom-mostabsorbent sheet in the stack of absorbent sheets; and a mounting systemconfigured to mount the plurality of absorbent sheets to a surface, themounting system comprising: a first fastening component coupled to thebacking sheet with adhesive and includes a loop fastener, wherein aforce to separate the first fastening component from the backing sheetis F₁; and a second fastening component configured to be coupled to thesurface with adhesive and includes a hook fastener to couple to the loopfastener of the first fastening component, wherein a force to separatethe second fastening component from the first fastening component is F₂,and wherein a force to separate the second fastening component from thesurface is F₃; and wherein F_(separation)<F₂<F₃<F₁.
 20. The stack ofabsorbent sheets of claim 19, wherein the absorbent sheets are papertowels.